Chimpanzees are African, highly social, and our closest living relatives along with bonobos. Orangutans are Asian — Borneo and Sumatra — largely solitary, more arboreal, and a more distant branch of the great apes. Both are great apes; the split between them is deep.
The core difference
Two great apes on different continents and different branches.
- chimpanzee — Africa; highly social, living in large communities; shares roughly 98-99% of DNA with humans.
- orangutan — Borneo and Sumatra; largely solitary; the most arboreal of the great apes; three species.
The name
Orangutan is from Malay orang hutan, "person of the forest". It is an unusually literal name and one of relatively few common English animal names taken directly from a Southeast Asian language.
The great apes
The family covers humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans. Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest relatives; gorillas next; orangutans the most distant of the group. Gibbons are apes but not great apes.
Frequently asked questions
Which ape is closest to humans?
Chimpanzees and bonobos, sharing roughly 98-99% of our DNA. Orangutans are a more distant branch.
Where do orangutans live?
Only on Borneo and Sumatra. Chimpanzees live in Africa.
What does orangutan mean?
Person of the forest, from Malay orang hutan.